Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Department of Social Protection

National Internship Scheme

Photo of Mick WallaceMick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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288. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will abolish the JobBridge scheme and replace it with targeted programmes aimed at specific groups, as advocated for by groups such as Impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11470/16]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I have already announced that I am considering replacing JobBridge with a more targeted scheme later this year.

I believe that economic and labour market conditions have changed for the better since the scheme was introduced in 2011 and that the time may now be right for a more targeted scheme.

JobBridge was developed in 2011 in response to the unemployment crisis to serve a dual purpose. First, to help jobseekers to secure the work experience vital to enhancing their employment prospects and break the vicious circle of ‘no experience no work but no work no experience’. And second to support employers in taking the first step in recruitment at a time when access to finance was very limited and business risk was very high. JobBridge also addressed the anomaly in the social welfare code whereby unemployed jobseekers who voluntarily undertook unpaid work experience or internships lost their entitlement to a jobseeker payment. Under JobBridge participants retain their jobseeker payment and in addition receive a top up towards the cost of work of €52 per week.

JobBridge has been very successful in meeting its objectives over the past five years. It has helped about 19,000 mainly small employers to provide valuable work experience to nearly 48,000 unemployed jobseekers. An independent evaluation of JobBridge published in 2013 found that overall satisfaction levels with the scheme were very high. Two thirds of participants would recommend the scheme to a friend or family member, and levels of abuse of the scheme by employers were very low. Most notably the evaluation found that about 61% of participants progressed into paid employment within a short period of about completing their internship. This is a very high progression rate and suggests that JobBridge has been instrumental in helping about 30,000 jobseekers to secure employment.

Notwithstanding these achievements JobBridge has been subject to a high level of criticism much of which is based on anecdote or very small scale surveys by various interest groups. I intend to address these criticisms, insofar as it is appropriate or possible to do so, in the design of a new scheme. It is however important that the design of a new scheme be informed by the best evidence possible.

It is for this reason that I intend to await the results of a second large scale evaluation of JobBridge currently underway. The results of this evaluation, which is again being undertaken by Indecon, are expected in September and I will announce my proposals for a new scheme shortly thereafter.

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